Opinion: Alex Kalinauckas

Despite the dire performance of its SF1000, Ferrari still has some aces up its sleeve. It just might be a while before it can play its full hand

“Mick Schumacher is rumoured to be set for a 2021 F1 seat, even if he doesn’t win the F2 title”

For nine laps, it looked as though Ferrari might have something mighty to celebrate in the Tuscan

Grand Prix – which it was celebrating as its

1000th world championship race.

Once the real race had finally got under way after the first-lap pile-up and safety-car-restart nonsense, Lewis Hamilton led Valtteri Bottas, with Charles Leclerc following in third. Leclerc, in the maligned Ferrari SF1000, in third on lap nine… He had hauled his car to stunning surprise podiums at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone, but on both occasions he had needed something unexpected to get him onto the podium.

For those glorious laps, the burgundy-coloured car held off the advances of Lance Stroll’s Racing Point, with Leclerc running behind the dominant Mercedes machines. If the narrow Mugello track could keep the SF1000 in front, if DRS offered Stroll nothing, if Ferrari could ace its tyre strategy, and if Leclerc could hang on for 50 pummelling laps, a stunning result would be on. For Leclerc, read Alberto Ascari – second behind the car of the season, the

Alfa Romeo 158, which was victorious in the hands of Juan

Manuel Fangio at the 1950 Monaco GP, Ferrari’s first world championship F1 race.

But it wasn’t to be. On lap 18 at Mugello, Stroll blasted past Leclerc on the outside line at San Donato, having used DRS and the might of his Mercedes engine. Then, car after car demoted the

Monegasque driver until he pitted from seventh.

It has long been known why the SF1000 is struggling in the midfield. It no longer has the power to push ahead of its rivals on the straights, and overcome the drag issues that come with downforce-chasing aerodynamic parts.

This problem will continue into 2021 thanks to the coronavirus cost-saving measures, which mean the current cars will be carried over into next season. Yes, there are small chances to add upgrades, and the cars will lose significant downforce with the floor changes. But the essence of each car will remain.

There are apparently new bits coming for the next race, the Russian GP, but this won’t change Ferrari’s fortunes, says Mattia Binotto:“on our side we need to review the projects, with the view of 2021. I think it will take some more time to do it.”

It is interesting to hear Binotto mention 2021, given it surely does not offer much hope for the Scuderia. The delayed rules reset should provide Ferrari with a chance to finally produce a car that can carry one of its drivers to a first world title since

2007. But now, it looks like the immediate start of Ferrari’s second millennium of F1 starts will be painful, even if there are reasons for it to look forward to a brighter future.

For a start, it is committed to F1 as per the new Concorde Agreement, where it has retained its rules veto and a yearly payment – believed to be around $40million – in recognition of its historical contribution to the championship. Plus, it goes into the new era with further riches in terms of driving talent.

Leclerc is already one of F1’s megastars. For 2021 he will be joined by Mclaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr. Sainz may have had a less-thanstellar race at Mugello, but the previous week he was one of the two stars of the Italian GP and would surely have taken a superb result even without the race disruptions. Sainz will soon have to deal with the same troublesome car that has only allowed Leclerc to shine on occasion, but Monza showed what he can do on his day.

Aside from the F1 drivers on its books, Ferrari is blessed with talent coming through the ranks. In Formula 2 alone in 2020, it has title contenders Mick Schumacher, Callum Ilott and Robert Shwartzman (plus Marcus Armstrong and Giuliano Alesi). Rumours abound that Schumacher is set for a 2021 F1 seat, even if he doesn’t win the F2 title. Ferrari surely has the chance to flood F1 with its drivers if it wishes.

At Alfa Romeo, where Ferrari can choose who has the seat currently occupied by Antonio Giovinazzi, it is not too hard to imagine total change for next year. Giovinazzi has not dazzled as Leclerc did previously, and even Kimi Raikkonen acknowledges he is closer to the end of his career than the start. So, it may make sense for Ferrari to place Schumacher there next season, with

Alfa likely left with a choice of Raikkonen continuing, or taking one of the attractive candidates now on the market, including its former drivers (as Sauber) Sergio Perez or Nico Hulkenberg.

The other Ferrari customer squad, Haas, is also open to running two rookies if it moves on from Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen. Could it take a Ferrari junior or two? One plus Perez – who’d bring backing to a squad that flirted with the exit before committing to the new Concorde – could be logical, especially if a deal could be agreed to lower the cost of the power units…

Of course, none of this may come to pass, but it serves to reinforce that, although Ferrari may be ending its first

1000-race F1 stint in some pain, there is plenty it will soon enjoy as it starts the journey of the next 1000.